Velocity suffered a 16-run loss in the Women’s T20 Challenge but still qualified for the final on the basis of a better net run-rate, knocking out the winning Trailblazers from the tournament in Pune on Thursday. Velocity will face Supernova in Saturday’s summit clash. Invited to bat, Sabbhineni Meghna and Jemima Rodrigues scored scintillating half-centuries and helped the defending champions post a mammoth score of 190 for five, the highest score in the history of the tournament. But they needed to limit the velocity to 159 to become the second team to qualify for the final, but that was not to happen as Kiran Navgire had other ideas.
The 27-year-old Maharashtra all-rounder smashed 69 off 34 balls with the help of five fours and as many sixes as Velocity crossed 150 and reached the door of the final.
Trailblazers lead the bowlers Poonam Yadav (2/33) and Rajeshwari Gaikwadi (2/44), eventually managed to restrict Velocity to 174 for nine and opened his account as well, but would regret a massive 49-run defeat at the hands of the Supernovas in the opening match.
Trailblazers (-0.825), Supernova (+0.912) and Velocity (-0.022) finished with two points each, but the top two teams made it to the finals as they had a better net runrate than the defending champions. Velocity crossed the 159-run mark in the 19th over to make it to the final. Set a tight target of 191 for victory, playing his first season in the big leagues, Navgir showed steely flair as he combined with Laura Wolvaardt (17) to add 55 runs from 31 balls and then took over at the other end.
Navgir and Wolvaardt’s partnership helped Velocity score the fastest team century of the tournament.
Velocity lost wickets under pressure from the scoreboard but was saved by Navgir in the 17th over before being stumped by Richa Ghosh off Shopee Dunkley.
Once Navgir was gone, all was over for Velocity.
Earlier, Meghna put up a 113-run partnership with Rodrigues (66 off 44 balls) stuffed out of the Velocity attack with a 47-ball 73 as the Trailblazers posted 190 for five, which is history. I had the highest overall score. Tournament.
Meghna took the responsibility of running the team after the Trailblazers captain lost reminiscence (1) early.
Meghna, who was dropped on 16 and 63, displayed her big-hitting skills, which included seven boundaries and four maximums. Rodrigues also hit seven fours and a six in his 44-ball innings.
The pace on the field was erratic as his butterfinger fielders dropped four catches – two in Simran Bahadur’s over.
Meghna delivers two good hits off Kate Cross but the bowler takes a simple catch from Simran to dismiss Mandhana.
Cross could have added Meghna’s wicket to his list but Sneh Rana drops it on point.
Rodrigues hit two fours Deepti Sharma Trailblazers scored 47 for 1 in the powerplay.
Meghna split the attack, sending Radha Yadav for two sixes – one shot from inside out over cover and the other over the bowler’s head – on her way to her half-century in the 10th over.
Rodrigues also played some excellent shots and completed his half-century in 30 balls in the 14th over.
Shafali Verma And Ayabonga Khaka bowled two good overs but Meghna broke the bond and hit Verma for the third six at long off. Meghna got another relief when Khaka dropped her to backward point and she smacked Rana for a six and a boundary, before Cross could catch one at long-off to finally get rid of the opener.
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Rodrigues and Mathews added another 31 runs in 15 balls before Khaka was dismissed.
Hayley Matthews (27 out of 15) and Sophia Dunkley (19 of 8) made flourishes of late.
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